Tamed by the Knight

Jasper at night.

Beneath the neon glow and the intoxicating haze of endless indulgence, Emerald Avenue was the undisputed sanctuary of the elite.

*Screech—*

The sharp friction of tires against asphalt cut through the murmurs of the crowd.

Boasting the title of the premier nightclub in the Americas, the Aquarius Lounge was the playground for the heirs and heiresses of the East Coast old money.

Luxury cars were a dime a dozen here. But the Lamborghini Veneno Roadster that just pulled up was in a league of its own—a hypercar limited to only three units worldwide. The first two were owned by European royalty, making it unthinkable that the third had somehow ended up stateside.

Outside the lounge, the young trust-fund kids taking a smoke break turned their heads in unison.

The woman who stepped out was dressed in a pure white cotton slip dress that clung to her graceful silhouette. Her raven-black hair cascaded to her waist, subtly veiling her slender curves.

Her face was delicate, her expression aloof and ethereal, entirely devoid of worldly pretense. Her eyes were like deep, clear pools—innocent and luminous—yet the upward tilt at the outer corners wove together a dangerous mix of icy detachment and sultry allure. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

Her appearance sent ripples through the crowd.

“Since when did Jasper have someone like her?”

“I think she’s a Miss from the Green Family.”

“From the Kingston Greens?”

Upon receiving a confirming nod, the onlookers collectively sighed and averted their eyes.

Gabrielle “Gabby” Green was the absolute darling of the Greens, Kingston’s most formidable dynasty. She was entirely out of their league.

“Vivian, I really didn’t want to come tonight,” Gabby murmured. She despised crowded places.

The girl holding her hand was Vivian Vance, the daughter of Jasper’s wealthiest tycoon.

“Oh, come on, Gabby!” Vivian refused to let her retreat, tugging her firmly toward the entrance. “Relax. With me here, word won’t get out that you’re in Jasper. He… he won’t know you’re here.”

On the side of the road, parked in the shadows, sat an unassuming Aston Martin Valkyrie.

Inside the cabin, the interior lighting flickered. In the half-light, the man’s sharp features were obscured, but his dark, intense gaze remained fixed on that figure in white.

From her narrow waist, down to her delicate ankles—no detail escaped his scrutiny.

As she disappeared through the club doors, he leaned back lazily against the plush leather seat. His lashes lowered, and as his fingertips flicked a lighter, a spark danced to life. Ash tumbled down, scalding hot, yet his expression didn’t falter.

His long fingers brushed away the ash. On the back of his hand, beneath the prominent veins, sat a pinkish bite mark shaped like a butterfly. Caught in the flickering glow, it looked almost alive—an old, intimate scar that hinted at a deeply rooted obsession.

White smoke curled upward, tangling around his fingers. A slow smirk touched his lips, and his eyes darkened with the primal thrill of a predator cornering its prey.

“Found you, Gabby.”

——

Inside the VIP private room, the lights were dim, and heavy bass vibrated through the floor.

Gabby slipped into a corner seat, managing to avoid drawing attention. Tonight’s gathering was organized by Vivian, who had explicitly warned everyone to keep Gabby’s identity under wraps.

“Gabby.” Vivian returned, handing her a glass of fresh juice, and leaned in to whisper, “You can’t hide from Jace Knight forever.”

“Just for now,” Gabby replied softly.

Once her Germany visa came through, she would disappear into the Alps. When Jace Knight returned from abroad, she would already be gone. She would never give him the chance to see her again.

Vivian sighed. “Gabby, what’s so bad about Jace? He’s the head of the Knight Consortium, and you’re the sole heiress of the Green Family. If you two were together, it would be the perfect match. Honestly, being wanted by a man like that… it’s not the worst thing.”

The Knight family was the undisputed sovereign of Kingston. Jace Knight, the absolute ruler of their empire, had maintained a spotless record over the years—no scandals, no frivolous affairs. He was the ultimate obsession of every socialite debutante.

Yet here was Gabby, seemingly oblivious to her own fortune.

At Vivian’s words, the usually docile girl furrowed her brows. She bit her lower lip, her voice dropping to a fierce hiss. “He’s a maniac!”

The moment the words left her lips, the once-deafening club fell into a pin-drop silence.

The door had opened without anyone noticing, allowing a sliver of harsh light from the hallway to slice through the dim room.

There, framed in the doorway, stood a towering silhouette.

“Who the hell is that?” Vivian was still oblivious, but Gabby had already frozen in her seat.

The man at the door was none other than the maniac she dreamed of escaping.

Jace Knight exuded an air of lethal authority. His tailored black suit emphasized his tall, striking frame and austere, ascetic demeanor. Yet, with the top two buttons of his black shirt undone, there was an undeniable edge of reckless danger.

From the moment he stepped in, his gaze had locked onto the corner, absorbing every ounce of her panic. A smirk played on his thin lips, but his tone was absolute ice.

“Get out.”

Three simple words, and the room held its breath. Then came the scramble—people jumping to their feet, shoving past each other to flee.

Three seconds later, the massive VIP room was emptied, leaving only Gabby and Vivian.

Vivian tried to keep her composure, pulling Gabby up from the seat to leave, but the towering, suited bodyguards blocking the doorway made her instantly drop her friend’s hand.

“Gabby… I’m so sorry, I have to go!” she stammered before bolting.

The temperature in the room plummeted to freezing.

Gabby’s attempt to step toward the exit was halted as Lucas stepped into her path.

“Miss Gabby. It’s been a while,” Lucas greeted with a curt nod.

Then—*Click.*

The door shut tight.

Darkness swallowed the room once more. Gabby knew, better than anyone, there was no way out now.

A chill crept up from the soles of her feet. What should have been simple breathing now felt like sucking air through a plastic film. No matter how hard she gasped, she teetered on the edge of suffocation.

“Gabby. Come here.”

Behind her, Jace had casually claimed the seat she had just vacated. His long legs crossed, his posture elegant yet dangerously languid. His deep, cold eyes studied the girl before him, his gaze trailing downward, pausing slightly.

The white dress cinched at her waist, making it look impossibly slender—as if it would shatter with a single grip.

Jace’s eyes grew darker. He remembered her waist. Beautiful, incredibly slender, soft… and exquisite to the touch.

“Jace Knight, what the hell do you want?”

Her beautiful, fox-like eyes glared at him, sparkling with undisguised repulsion.

Jace narrowed his eyes, his expression remaining impassive. The aura around him was half-indolent, half-crushing.

“Come. Sit.”

The longer he looked at her, the harder it was to suppress the dark, malignant desire clawing at his chest.

The white dress was pristine. She was already stunning, but dressed like this, she was like a summer lotus—pure, radiant, and achingly clean. It was impossible to look away.

Only one thought consumed Jace Knight’s mind:

He wanted to take that pristine white and utterly stain it with his own colors.

Seeing her remain frozen, the man let out a cold chuckle, the air pressure around them dropping another chilling octave…

“Why? Do you want me to come over there?”

Jace kept his eyes lowered, a sharp, dangerous curve playing on his lips.

He undid his cufflinks one by one, rolling up his sleeves to reveal the lean, carved muscle of his forearms. The gaze he fixed upon her was suffocating, laden with unspoken intentions.

“I’ll come,” she yielded.

On the table sat crystal tumblers. He casually selected a bottle of top-shelf bourbon and poured a measure.

Gabby watched him in silence, her eyes tracking his large, articled hands gripping the bottle—imagining that same grip closing around her throat, stealing her breath.

The cold liquor slid down his throat, easing the burning tension within him. Jace looked up, noticing she had seated herself an entire couch cushion away from him. The smirk on his lips instantly iced over.

He stood up, completely ignoring her stiff resistance, and hauled her onto his lap. His palm clamped over her waist, pinning her so she couldn’t m